Self-locking pin fastener



Sept. 10, 1929.

P. E. FENTON SELF LOCKING PIN FASTENER Filed April 19, 1928 gram 1 Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

UNITEDYSTATES.

PATE'NT' OFFICE.

PAUL E. FEN'ION, or rrnomns'ron, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T 'scovI'LL MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, or WATERBURY, connnorrour, A CORPORATION or con- NECTIGUT.

SELF-LOCKING PIN FASTENER.

The invention will be explained in con nection with its use for fastening covers to the upholstered parts, such as the seats, of automobiles, but it is to be understood that it is not intended thereby to limit its use. The invention consists of a double-pointed or'multi-legged pin, having its legsshouldered in relation to its upper or head portion, and the remainder of its legs spaced m apart, so that when the legs are stuck into an article and pushed toward their head a relatively large area of the article will be gathered in between the legs and forced past the shouldered parts and thereafter allowed to expand to some extent above the shouldered parts, so that the fastener is more or less firmly locked in set position and so renderedv secure against accidental displacement, as I will proceed now to explain 29 more fully and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a front elevation Fig. 2 is a rear 95 elevation, and Fig. 3is a longitudinal section illustrating a capped embodiment of the invention, the shouldered parts of'the pin being more or less'inclined. Fig. i is a rear elevation of the pin shown in Figs. 1-3, detached. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of a modified form of pin, detached, in which the shouldered parts are at substantially ninety degrees to the vertical portions of the head of the pin. v

Describing the invention as illustrated in the drawings, the pin is composed of a len th of wire doubled upon itselfin spacedapart relation, and formed with the reverted head 1. The legs 2, 2 have the upper portions 3, 3 parallel with one another and overlying the head 1 and parallel with its sides, and these portions 3, are drawn in at an angle to the upper portions, as at 4, 4,

so as to cause the limbs to converge and form shoulders. Below the shoulders 4, 4,.

the legs are spread apart or diverge, whereby their points 5, 5 enter the material to be pinned at distant points, so that when the pin is pushed home the material will be gathered in or bunched as the shoulders are neared, and after such points are passed the material will spread out in. the parallel space above the shoulders, and thus the pin will be more or less securely locked on or in the article to be secured. The purposed withdrawal of the pin from the article is resisted by the shouldersbut may be accomplished by exerting suflicient force.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4 the shoulders are inclined to facilitate withdrawal, but in Fig. 5 the shoulders 4 are arranged. sub stantially at ninety degrees to the head and thereby greater resistance to withdrawal is afforded. i

I have shown the pin of this invention provided with a cap 6, applied to the head of the pin by engagement with the flange 7. To further ensure the engagement of the cap with the pin, there are employed a lug 8 on thecap bent down between the legs of the pin next to the head and a tongue 9 which projects from the flange of the cap between the sides of the head and is bent down over the looped portion 10 of the head. i o

As already sufficiently'indicated, the legs of the pin are stuck into the article to be fastened, and as the pin is pushed home, the material will'be gathered or bunched between the legs as they converge upwardly toward the shoulders and t then forced through said shoulders 4. so as to pass into the space above these parts, where the material is free to relax or expand; Thus it will be seen that the shoulders serve the purpose of locking. the pin in the material in a more or less secure manner. When the shoulders are made on an incline, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the withdrawal of the pin from the material is retarded or obstructed byfriction, whereas in the case of the pin shown in Fig. 5, there is a positive locking action. 1

' The broad invention includesnot only the diverging legs where the divergenceis continuous from the shoulders 4 to the points of the legs, but also any arrangement Where the upper parts ofthe legs are shouldered and the legs extend thence downwardly and are spaced "apart suificiently to, gather in or bunch the material to which the pin is applied and crowd it past the shouldered portions.

Near the points of the pin legs, the wire of the pin has the greatest resilience, and this resilience decreases as the upper part or head of the pin is approached. When the pin is being set or mounted, the material on which the pin is set has the benefit of more resiliency through the lateral movement ofthe legs than when the pin is withdrawn, because the shoulders are nearer the topof the legs.

Variations in the details of. construction are permissible withinthe principle of the invention and the scope of the claims following. V 1 V hat I claim is l. A self-locking pin fastener, having a head'and a' plurality of legs, thelegs beingshouldered in relation to the head and the remainderof the legs spaced apart, whereby when the legs are stuck into an article and pushed toward their head a relatively large area of the article will be gathered in between the legs-and forced past the shoulderedparts and thereafter allowed to expand above the shouldered parts, so that the fastener is firmly locked in set position and rendered secure against accidental displacement.

2. A self-locking pin fastener, comprising a pin, having a plurality of legs and a head bent back upon and overlying said legs, said legs adjacent to said head being provided with shoulders forming an obstruction and said legs extending below the shoulders in spaced-apart relation.

3. A self-locking pin fastener, comprising a pin having a plurality of legs and a fixed head bent back upon and overlying said legs, the legs of the pin adjacent to the head being drawn in toward one another to form an obstruction and the legs of the pin extending beyond the obstruction.

4. A'self-locking pin fastener, comprising a pin having plurality of; legs and a head bent back upon said legs, the legs of the pin adjacent to the head'being drawn'in toward one another to form anw obstruction and the legs of the pin extendingbeyond the obstruction and spaced apart from one another below the obstruction."

1 5. A self-locking pin fastener, comprising a pin having a plurality oflegs and ahead bent back upon said'legs, the legs -of thepin adjacent to 'thehead being drawn in toward one another to form anobstruc-t'ion, the legs of the pin toward their points being .spaced apart a distance greaterlthanthe extent of thejobstruction, whereby in the use of the pin its points will enter the material ofthe article on which'it is used at points relatively widely separated and as the pin-is pushed in toward its head the material will :be gathered inr01--blll1Cl1Clb8lZW8GIlf the legs and forced past the obstruction and allowed to expand between the legs above such obstruction to overcome any tendency toward accidental escape of the fastener.

6. A self-locking pin fastener, comprising a pin having a plurality of legs and a head bent back upon and overlying said legs, the legs of.v the pin adjacent to the head being shouldered to. form an obstructionand said legs extending beyond these ifshoulders and diverging "therefrom.

7. A self-locking pin fastener, comprising a pin having legs and a head bent back upon said legs, the legs of the pin adjacent to the head being bent toward one another to form shoulders and the legs of the pin extending beyond these shoulders and diverging therefrom, thediverging legs serving to enter the material to be fastened over a relatively wide area and gather in or vbunch the material between them and such gathered-in material being crowded between and past the adjacent points of the shoulders.

8. A self-locking'pin fastener, comprising a pinhaving a pairof legs and a head bent back uponsaid legs and forming parallel sides, the adjacent portions of the legs of the pin also beingparallel one to the other and to the sides of the head, and drawn-in parts resiliently closing the space above between the legs.

9. A self-locking pin fastener, comprising a pin having a plurality of legs and a head bent back upon said legs and forming parallel sides, the adjacent portions of the legs of the pinalso being parallel one to the other and tothe sides of the l1ead,,and drawn-in parts resiliently closing the space above between the legs, the'remainder of the legs below the drawn-in parts diverging.

10. A self-locking pin fastener, comprising a two-legged pin havinga head bent back upon and overlying said le s the legs of the pin adjacent to the head eing drawn in toward one another at substantially right angles to the head of the pin to form, an obstruction and the legs of the pin extending beyond these drawn-in parts.

11, A self-locking pin fastener, comprising a pin having a plurality of legs, a head bent back upon the legs of the pin, the legs of the pin adjacent to the headbeing shouldered to form an obstruction which is adapted to prevent the accidental escape of the fastener and the legs of the pin extending beyond these shouldered parts, and a cap secured to and-covering-in the, head of the pin.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of April, A. D. 1928.

PAUL E. FENTON. 

